Following the French military’s deployment of its aircraft carrier strike group near the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom has also announced the deployment of its warship to the Middle East.
The UK announced it would send its air defense destroyer HMS Dragon to the Middle East amid preparations for a multinational effort to ensure freedom of navigation through the key oil trade route, which Iran has declared closed to commercial shipping.
Following attacks by the United States and Israel and subsequent retaliation by the Islamic Republic, the United Kingdom deployed HMS Dragon to the eastern Mediterranean in March to protect Cyprus against Iranian missiles and drones.
Its repositioning follows a similar move by France, which deployed its aircraft carrier to the southern Red Sea as European powers work together on a plan to open the Strait of Hormuz.
A MoD spokesperson said: “The pre-positioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning that will ensure the UK is ready, as part of a multinational coalition led jointly by the UK and France, “to secure the Strait, when conditions permit.”
The development comes as the United States seeks a response from the Iranian side to its proposed peace plan.
Germany has also expressed its willingness to send its mine-detection ships through the Strait to clear it of mines; However, it established a ceasefire between the conflicting parties as a precondition to advance the deployment of its naval assets.
